The Hidden Costs of Buying a New iPad

Tags

buyers remorse, crash landing, crashdlanding, non-fiction

Nearly five years ago, not long after my mother died, I went through a spending spree. Basically, I used buying things as a really bad coping mechanism.

Now, it’s true that I did “need” a new one. The one I was using, an iPad mini, was several years old and had a crack in the screen (I think that happened when I had it it’s been a while). And my very young child had it more than I did.

And apple had a payment plan that I didn’t know WAS A CREDIT CARD until after the fact.

But it was at that time, after my mom died, that I got that credit card and put a new iPad and Apple Pencil on it. Without ever having the card in my hand.

Now, five years on and this iPad’s 32 GIG brain has run out of space for new stuff.

Now, initially I was going to just buy a new case.

But then I remembered how, when I tried to transfer videos from the iPad into the VideoLeap app in order to edit (such as the next drawing challenge video) it would warn me it didn’t have enough space. I’d have to go in and delete and clear as much space as possible to make this happen, even though I would be deleting videos once I was done.

Anyway, I told myself that I’d buy a new iPad, through my phone company, once I got my phone and Apple Watch paid off (I’m only just remembering wanting to go through my cell company because I was gonna get a data plan, what convenient timing).

But instead of waiting I managed to convince myself that I needed to buy one today. Yes. Today. Did I have almost $600 just lying around. Heck no. But I did have easy access to a monthly payment/loan style of “buy now pay later”. I’ve used it three times now, why not four?

So I did. And the buyer’s remorse kicked in fast.

The Hidden Costs

When you buy a new iPad, a ver expensive piece of technology, you want to protect it. So, oops, gotta get a case. At the time of purchase I was told the only case they had to fit it was a $70 Otter Box case. While very protective, I’m not that stupid. I mean. I’m stupid, clearly. But that’s well beyond.

I quickly found and ordered a new case and paper-like screen protector on Amazon. But it wouldn’t arrive for over a week (The Hubs cancelled Prime and I wasn’t paying $15.99 shipping). My first thought is “well, I’m not taking this out the box until the case arrives.” But I happened to look, and lo and behold, they had a $15 case. It wasn’t pretty purple like the one I ordered but it’ll keep her safe until the pretty one arrives. This order totaled $30.

I get home and release the new iPad from its cardboard prison, and begin setting it up. I don’t want to get rid of the old iPad right away, as I have projects on it I don’t think I can transfer over, so I don’t use that method to set up the new one.

I get to the number one priority, my Apple Pencil. Now, I use my Apple Pencil, first generation, a lot. I need it on my iPad. So, I go to connect it, and remember the first thing I noticed about the new iPad. It charges with USB-C. Unlike all the other apple devices I own, including, you guessed it, the Apple Pencil.

Now see, friends, I forgot that the Apple Pencil required being plugged into the device to connect. After it’s plugged in it will auto-connect via Bluetooth. But initially I remembered that it connects via Bluetooth. And it was only when iPad didn’t pick it up did I realize this.

So I googled and it told me that I could buy a USB-C to lightening (apple) cord and used the adapter that came with the pencil to connect. So I drove to the store, and paid $18 for a cord (also some sweet new sunglasses).

Came back home and connected it. No dice.

More Google told me that first generation Apple Pencil and Fifth Generation iPad air (the new iPad obviously) ARE. NOT. COMPATIBLE. And so, buyer’s remorse has turned into buyer’s anger. Because I’m to dumb to thing that far ahead and make sure the new guy and the old guy get along.

So clearly the only logical options for me here are to A: return the iPad completely and save myself $40 a month over a term of 24 months, or buy a new second generation Apple Pencil. No, it didn’t occur to me until now that I could go and buy the same off brand pencil style stylus that my child got for Christmas for her iPad.

It actually works great and she loves it.

See, the thing is, if I had known this incompatibility information when I was purchasing the iPad, I would have just got the pencil on loan too. Because, again, I don’t have that kind of kind of money lying around.